


Confinement

by thievinghippo



Category: Mass Effect: Andromeda
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-16
Updated: 2017-05-16
Packaged: 2018-11-01 07:29:53
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 11,355
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10917189
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thievinghippo/pseuds/thievinghippo
Summary: After the Battle for Meridian, Ryder's confined to quarters for twenty-four hours. Luckily, Reyes is happy to help her pass the time.





	1. Chapter One

The bastard winks then walks away.

Everyone and everything needs Ryder’s attention right then and there, but all she can think about is the person currently walking away in the opposite direction.

Two months. _Two months_ since they’ve seen each other in person. Since then, they’ve only been able to manage a couple of late night vid calls and countless text messages. Ryder wants to run after him, wants to feel his arms around her, but she can’t. She knows she can’t.

Fucking the Charlatan requires discretion, after all.

So she pushes the thought of Reyes out of her mind and concentrates on her brother. On Scott. Who basically managed to save the entire cluster with his brain. He would have been such a better Pathfinder than she ever could.

Ryder’s not sure where they’re taking him, but she follows as best she can, watching as Lexi gets him on a stretcher of some sort. All sorts of doctor speak comes out of her mouth the moment Harry shows up, looking slightly worse for wear.

Well, he did just crash land on a strange, alien planet, so Ryder completely understands. She’s not feeling so great herself - if only her head would stop _pounding_ \- but she needs to make sure Scott’s going to be okay.

But then Lexi turns to look at her with full-on doctor face and Ryder stops walking. “What’d I do?” Ryder asks.

“I’m not even going to answer that,” Lexi says, omni-tool already scanning. Ryder closes her eyes, knowing that it’s best to let the doctor do her thing. “You need rest.”

“Hell, I could have told you that without an omni-tool,” Ryder says with a grin. “But there’s too much-”

“You are confined to quarters for twenty-four hours,” Lexi says, putting her hands behind her back. There’s a steel to her spine, as if she welcomes Ryder’s challenge.

“Doc-”

“Meridian and the _Hyperion_ will be here twenty-four hours from now,” Lexi says. “I’m still not sure what’s happened to your brain when your connection with SAM was severed. So you rest. Rest and then tomorrow, we’re doing tests.”

She’s too tired to argue. “Can I at least shower before my confinement?” Ryder asks.

Lexi smiles. “I’m not completely heartless,” she says, looking around. With more strength than Ryder expects, the doctor grabs her arm and they start to walk away from the larger group. “I would advise against sexual relations today, Ryder.”

Is she that obvious? Maybe to her crew, the only people in the galaxy who know the truth about her and Reyes. She desperately hopes no one else notices how her eyes are already searching for him.

“But since you know I’m gonna ignore that advice?” Ryder asks lightly. At least, she’s going to certainly try to ignore that advice. Assuming she can find Reyes again in all this mess.

Lexi puts on her long-suffering doctor face and sighs and Ryder almost feels sorry for her. Can’t be easy being a doctor, especially being Ryder’s doctor. “Make him do all the work.”

Now that she can do. “Deal,” Ryder says, even as her omni-tool is starting to buzz from messages. She starts to open her ‘tool, but Lexi takes her arm.

“SAM?” Lexi asks. “Don’t let her answer any messages for twenty-four hours.”

_I will restrict everything except high priority messages._

“All her messages are high priority,” Lexi says and for a moment, she sounds so much like Ryder’s mother when she was exasperated with her father that Ryder needs to look away. What would Mom think of this? Of Meridian? Maybe they’ll find out one day.

Ryder decides to take pity on her. “I’ll be good, Lexi. Promise.”

“I highly doubt that if you’re about to go off to find Reyes,” Lexi says, her voice soft. “Just don’t overexert yourself, please. You need to recuperate.”

Ryder understands Lexi’s caution. She does. But they found Meridian. They’re _home._ All she wants to do is explore this new world and see what makes it tick. But she’s also very, very, _very_ tired.

With a mock salute, Ryder says, “Permission to start my prison sentence?”

Lexi chuckles, but Ryder can hear the slight annoyance underneath. “Only you would view twenty-four hours of rest as jail time. Go on, then.”

“Let me know if anything changes with Scott,” Ryder says, unlatching the seals on her chestpiece. The sooner she gets out of this armor, the better. “And if I’m needed, SAM’s gonna let me know, right SAM?”

_I will inform you of any emergencies requiring your direct attention._

Giving Lexi one last smile, Ryder starts to leave the gathered group of people. It’s harder than it looks. Evfra stops her, followed by Raeka. A good fifteen minutes pass before she steps out of the circle, ready to find the _Tempest._

Less than a minute passes before her omni-tool buzzes. “A priority message already, SAM? Seriously?”

_The message is from Mister Vidal. I assumed you would want to be informed._

“Oh,” Ryder says, feeling her heart rate speed up a bit. “Well, yeah. Thank you.”

She brings up the message, not quite able to ignore the flutter in her stomach. This… whatever it is they have is such a bad idea. No way it ends happily, but the idea of being without him is like being without air to breath. And she’s been there, done that, thanks to Habitat-7, and she doesn’t ever want to experience that again.

_Finally managed to extract yourself from your adoring fans, I see._

Her cheeks redden as she looks up, wondering where he might be hiding. There are plenty of rocks and ledges to hide behind; a smuggler’s dream from what she can tell. “SAM, message Reyes back, please. Where are you?”

A return ping comes back almost at once. _Check your left._

And about fifty yards away, stands Reyes, a hand confidently on his hip, looking like the gloriously cocky bastard she knows him to be. Not too far behind him is the _Tempest._ And sleep.

Maybe sex, if she plays her cards right. But mostly sleep.

The walk seemingly takes forever, with each step determined to tell her just how tired she really is. But then she stands in front of Reyes, who looks just as tired as she does.

“Hey,” she says. Not the most romantic thing to say after a two month separation, but she can’t think of anything else.

“Hey, yourself,” he says, his voice soft. “You had me worried there, Ryder.”

“Worried myself, to be honest,” she says, crossing her arms over her chest to keep from reaching out for him. “Thank you for showing up here.”

He smiles, revealing some thin lines at the corners of his eyes. Lines Ryder’s sure weren’t there the last time she saw him in person. Ruling Kadara Port from the shadows must be more tiring than he expected.

“If this is truly the new home for humanity, I need to start shoring up my contacts,” Reyes says, tilting his head. “There’s a lot of money to be had.”

“Oh? And is that the only reason?” Ryder asks lightly.

“Well, maybe you personally asking for help had something to do with it,” Reyes says softly. “Always did like the idea of saving a damsel in distress. Not that’s what you are, of course. So much more than that.”

Ryder’s tempted to act annoyed or offended, but she gets what he’s trying to say. And it’s sort of sweet, to be honest. But her head’s not clear enough for witty banter, as tired as she is. Straight to the point, it is. “So I’ve been medically confined to quarters for twenty-four hours,” she says, taking a step closer to Reyes. Still not close enough to make anyone looking at them think twice, though. “Any chance you have a couple of hours to keep me company?”

“Twenty-four hours?” he asks and the concern in his voice comes close to breaking her, thanks to the exhaustion. Being apart so often and with so many lines between them, there are times - not often and _only_ when she’s feeling lonely - she wonders if he truly cares, or if he’s using her for his own gain. But right now? The way he’s looking at her? She doesn’t have to wonder if he cares. She _knows._

“SAM implant stuff. My brain needs rest,” Ryder says. Her stomach growls and she suddenly realizes that she’s _ravenous._ She needs to get back on the _Tempest_ not just for rest, but for some food. Damn biotics took near everything out of her _._ “Nothing to worry about.”

Reyes fishes through one of his pockets and hands her a protein bar. “You must be hungry,” he says with a grin. “I saw some of those fancy moves of yours before you went underground. Remind me never to get on your bad side, Ryder.”

She’s already eaten half the bar by the time he finishes talking. God, she must look like a mess, but right now, she doesn’t really care. “Thanks for this,” Ryder says, holding up what’s left of the bar.

“You need it more than I do,” Reyes says. “And I think I can spare a few hours. I don’t like to fly when I’m this worn out.”

“Yeah?” she says, her mouth still half-full of protein bar. It’s a cherry flavor, reminding her of cough syrup, but it’s calories, fueling her up again. She covers her mouth, looking up at Reyes sheepishly. “Sorry.”

“You’re cute when you’re hungry, you know that?” he says.

She sees his hand start to reach out, but then he quickly closes it into a fist. Ryder understands, damn does she understand. Being discreet isn’t just for him. It’s for her, too. She’s the Pathfinder, a fucking symbol. How will it look if the galaxy knows she’s with a smuggler, let alone the Charlatan?

“I’m always cute,” Ryder says. With a jerk of her head, she adds, “Come on. I’ll give you a tour of the _Tempest._ ”

“I’d rather have a tour of your bed,” Reyes says as they start to walk. He shakes his head with a laugh. “I didn’t mean it like that, Ryder. Honest.”

Ryder swallows the last of the protein bar and looks up at the sky. They’re in a dome, yet it feels like the sky stretches out forever overhead. She’s not a scientist; she’s a soldier, like her father. But even she’s curious to learn more about humanity’s new home.

Tomorrow.

“If you say so,” Ryder says with a smirk. _Fuck_ , she just wants to wrap her arm around his waist as they walk, but instead she keeps her hands to herself.

“I’m so damn tired I can’t even be suave,” Reyes says. “Been awhile since I’ve been in a firefight like that. Can’t say I enjoyed it all that much.”

They’re almost at the _Tempest_. She can already picture her bed waiting for her, her soft, comfortable bed. “Here,” Ryder says, grabbing her shotgun from her back. “Hold this.”

Reyes takes the gun and Ryder ignores how their fingers linger together before he starts to look it over. “This is a beauty,” he says. “Never did like shotguns myself, though. Too personal. I prefer a bit of distance.”

The image of Sloane Kelly, dead from a sniper’s bullet crosses her mind. Distance, indeed. She takes off her chestplate, her body ready to scream out from relief as the weight is lifted, and hands it to Reyes. “This, too.”

“What am I? Your bloody valet?” Reyes asks, his brow furrowing.

“You’re holding my equipment, giving you a reason to get on the _Tempest_ in case anyone is watching,” Ryder says, her voice low. “We both have reputations to protect. SAM?”

The ramp of the _Tempest_ starts to lower at once. Ryder keeps walking but stops after a few steps when she realizes Reyes is no longer at her side.

His eyes are fixed firmly on the ship. “God _damn_ , this is one gorgeous bird,” he says with a whistle. He shakes his head. “I’ve seen it in Kadara Port, but close up like this? She’s _beautiful._ ”

Ryder tries to look at the _Tempest_ as a pilot might. Kallo certainly waxes on about the beauty of the ship, but she’s always assumed that’s because he’s been there since the very beginning. Finally she decides she can appreciate the ship another day. Now, she just wants to get inside.

“If the Nexus hadn’t gone to shit, I might have been a pilot for one of these beauties,” he says and for a moment, Ryder swears he almost sounds wistful.

Her jaw almost drops at the fact that Reyes just willingly offered her information about his past. Ryder keeps it firmly in place, not wanting to cause any bit of a fuss. She’s always been so curious, but there seems to be some sort of invisible line with him. Granted, she’s never really asked him about his past, but that’s because she doesn’t expect any answers, so why upset things?

She tries to think about that sort of life, a life when everything in Andromeda went according to plan. Dad would be Pathfinder and she and Scott part of his team. She pictures Reyes being the pilot of whatever ship they were on. And that’s when things fall apart, because she can’t imagine Reyes being content to shuttle people around the Heleus cluster for all that long.

But that’s a different universe, not the one she’s in now. Ryder walks up the ramp, her legs starting to feel like lead. Reyes’ footsteps follows her and once they’re both safely in the cargo hold, the ramp starts to close.

“Cargo hold,” she says, holding out her arms in welcome. She decides to pretend she doesn’t notice his eyes immediately go to the crates held securely to the side. She’s got no idea what’s in those. Supplies for some of the outposts, no doubt. He can probably make the Collective a lot of money with those supplies, so best they stay exactly where they are. 

Once the ramp is completely closed, Ryder can’t help herself. They’re alone - in person - for the first time in two months. She reaches for Reyes, but he holds up a hand, the one holding her shotgun. “Let me just put this down. I can’t simply drop the Pathfinder’s shotgun on the floor, can I?”

“Suppose not,” Ryder says, following him to one of the workbenches.

He set her chestpiece on the floor, then with both hands, almost reverently places her gun on the workbench, followed by his own assault rifle.

And then she’s in his arms. She’s in his arms and the galaxy seems to make sense again. He’s holding her tight, so tight it almost hurts, but Ryder’s sure she’s holding him back just as hard.

“I was worried about you,” he whispers into her hair. “I could hear all of the fighting over the comm, but I couldn’t do a damn thing to help.”

“Helped knowing that no one was going to flank us,” she says softly. And it’s true. She’s a vanguard, charging headfirst into any fight she’s in. If she doesn’t have to worry about watching her back, she’s that more effective in the field.

Reyes pulls back, and she doesn’t miss that he’s looking at her lips. “Now you’re just trying to stroke my ego.”

The opening is too obvious to be anything on purpose. But she’s not going to fall for it. Not yet, at least. So Ryder stands up on tiptoes and gently presses her lips against his.

Two months since they’ve held each other like this, since the last time she was able to schedule a trip to Kadara. Granted they’ve messaged almost every day and figured out time for a few vid calls, but nothing beats the real thing.

His lips are greedy against hers as he holds her even tighter than before. Ryder wants to lose herself him him, let Reyes take the lead and help her forget everything except him. But they’re in the middle of the cargo hold and that ramp can open at any time.

So even though it’s the last thing she wants to do, Ryder breaks away. “Come on,” she says, lacing her fingers through his. They’re both wearing armored gloves, so she can barely feel his hand, but the slight pressure is enough. “Up for a shower? I could use one.”

“Any chance a ship like this has actual hot water?” he asks and she smiles at the hope she hears in his voice. He’s told her about showers in Kadara Port. Only room temperature, though down the road, with the Badlands producing actual water now instead of poison, that will change.

“For eight whole minutes,” Ryder says as they start to walk towards the crew bunk. Her heart starts to speed up. She’s never actually seen Reyes fully naked. When they’ve managed to find time to fuck on Kadara, they’ve been in clothes or armor. And he never took off all his clothes during their vid calls, not when he always worried about needing to move quickly. “Hot water is timed. No excuses.”

“Not even for the Pathfinder?” Reyes asks. “They really should treat you better.”

“Not even for me,” Ryder says as the door to the crew bunk opens. She walks to one of Gil’s drawers and pulls out a pair of pajama pants and a t-shirt. She’ll owe him for this, probably will have to do his laundry for a week. Or get SAM to tell him some of the crew’s more personal poker tells.

Reyes raises a brow as she hands him the clothes. “Stealing from your crew?”

“Do you really want to change back into your armor after you’ve showered?” she asks. She stands, stretching her arms above her head and reveling in the ‘pop’ she hears. “Besides, no way I’m letting you into my bed in that armor. I just changed the sheets.”

“Demanding,” Reyes says. “I like it.”

Ryder tries to hide her smile as she walks back into the hallway towards her quarters. She gave him a tour of her quarters over a vid call once. They’re still embarrassingly large, but it will be nice to have space to spread out if Lexi’s serious about this twenty-four confinement thing. And knowing Lexi, she is.

The doors to her quarters open and she says, “SAM, blackout the windows.”

Normally she loves having the windows clear. Some nights, after all her reports are done, she’ll sit on the couch and stare out into space as the _Tempest_ moves through the Heleus cluster. But right now? Now she wants privacy.

Her stomach is still growling, so she grabs another protein bar from her desk. Pretzel and chocolate this time. Her favorite. It’s gone in three bites. That will tide her over until later. At least until after they shower.

There’s sleep shorts and a t-shirt at the end of her bed, where she placed them this morning. It’s become a ritual of hers, to leave her quarters clean with pajamas, water, and some food waiting when she gets back.

“SAM? Anyone else on the ship yet?” she asks as she starts to unlatch her leg armor.

_You and Mister Vidal are currently the only two on the ship. Would you like me to inform you if that changes?_

“Only if that changes in the next thirty minutes,” Ryder says. She sits on the edge of her couch and pulls off her boots. Looking at Reyes, she adds, “Strip.”

“Usually you like me giving the orders,” Reyes says, wagging his eyebrows. “This is a new side to you, Ryder.”

Heat rushes to her cheeks as she tries to not to look too embarrassed as she thinks about their last vid call. “The bathroom is really small,” she says finally. “Probably not enough room for us and our armor.”

“Why Pathfinder,” Reyes says as he starts to take off his jacket. “I made you blush.”

“Not the first time,” she says, shrugging out of her underarmor top. She’s wearing a heavy-duty sports bra, far different than the little lace number she wore on their last vid call. Well, at least she won’t be wearing it for long. “And I really hope it won’t be the last.”

He grins as he continues to take off his armor. She’s finished first, wearing only her bra and practical underwear. Her eyes linger on his torso once he’s barechested. A decent amount of hair is on his chest and he’s got the slightest hint of a belly, which surprises her. Must be too busy to workout with ruling Kadara and all. But he’s still one of the most beautiful men, hell, beautiful people she’s ever met in her life.

This trousers come off and she sees the start of a purple bruise forming on his thigh. “You okay?” she asks, walking over to him.

“Kett bastard caught me by surprise,” Reyes says. “I’ll be fine. No need to worry about me.”

“I’ll always worry about you,” Ryder says. The words come out in a rush and she bites her lower lip. It’s too personal of a confession, tells him too much, gives him even more fucking power over her than she wants him to have.

His face softens at her words and she needs to be out of this room. Her chest is too tight or maybe her heart is too big and just as she’s about to turn away, Reyes puts his hands on either side of her face. “I’ll always worry about you, too.”

And Ryder feels like she’s on fire.

Her fingers curl around his forearms and the reality of today’s events start to come crashing down. The fucking Archon kidnapped Scott. _Scott._ Her annoying baby brother who always tried to keep up with her and dad and never managed to quite get there.

The _Hyperion_ crashing. Defeating the Architect. And now she’s practically naked in her quiet room with Reyes. It’s almost too much. It _is_ too much. A second passes before Ryder realizes that she’s crying. Fucking crying. Not big ugly sobs, thank god, but honest to goodness tears are falling down her cheeks.

Ryder starts to turn away, so maybe she can hide her tears, but Reyes pulls her in close, so she’s flush against him. He puts one arm around her waist and the other cradles her head, gently, like she’s delicate, maybe made of glass.

Delicate is something Ryder is most certainly not. She’s got broad shoulders and thick thighs, thanks to endless training as a Vanguard. Never will she be the type of woman who will need to look up at her partner. But with Reyes, they’re the same height, and neither one looks down at the other.

“I’m sorry,” she whispers, wrapping her arms around his waist. Closing her eyes, she rests her chin on his shoulder, and basks in the feeling of simply being held.

“Don’t apologize,” Reyes says and there is something soft in his voice, almost vunerable. “You don’t have to do this alone, Ryder.”

It’s terrifying, what he’s offering. Ryder wonders if he even realizes what he’s saying. Surely not. The idea that she can actually depend on him, trust him not just physically, but emotionally, is so tempting. So fucking tempting.

She’s always held herself slightly away from her crew, with the exception of Drack. She’s the Pathfinder, and she’s so damn aware of what that means. Even her crew needs her to be a symbol. And people don’t want symbols to confide their problems to them.

But Reyes? He understands. Because he’s a symbol, too. The Charlatan. The anti-thesis to the Pathfinder. Two sides of the same coin. Ying and yang. No wonder they get along so well.

She nods before stepping out of his embrace. “Thank you,” she says, not even sure what she’s thanking him for. That he’s here, probably. He’s here and that’s more than enough. For now, at least. “Let’s get that shower.”

His hand finds her and they walk out of her quarters. The tile floor is cool on her bare feet, but soon they’ll be in a nice, warm shower. Getting clean sounds absolutely wonderful right now.

Reyes stops when they enter the bathroom. “Twelve of you share this tiny little space? That’s barbaric.”

“Yes. Yes, it is,” Ryder says as she pulls her sports bra off. She doesn’t miss the way his eyes go immediately to her breasts. They’re not looking their best; being cooped up in a industrial grade sports bra will do that, but already she feels better and takes off her underwear, tossing it to the side.

“You know, it’s dawning on me that I’ve never seen you naked before,” Reyes says softly as he takes off his own boxer-briefs.

“Yes, you have,” Ryder says with a laugh, thinking back to a couple of their vid calls.

It says something about how tired she is that she doesn’t even flinch as he pushes her up against the wall. “Vid calls are fun and all,” he says, his voice low. “But there’s nothing like seeing the real thing in person. You are _gorgeous._ ”

Her first reaction is to downplay the compliment, to say she really isn’t. But why throw that back in his face? Reyes has no reason to lie to her about that, no reason at all. So she swallows down her first impulse, which is to deny his words, and instead says, “Thank you.”

He kisses her then, lazy and long, like they have all the time in the world. Which they don’t. Which they’ll probably never have. Not when she’s the Pathfinder and he’s the Charlatan. When the kiss ends, Reyes rests his brow against hers. “So only eight minutes of hot water? Even for the Pathfinder?”

“Careful, Reyes,” she says, capturing his bottom lip between her teeth. “You’ll make me think you’re only here for my shower.”

“Perish the thought,” Reyes says, kissing her neck. “Never think that.”

“Ready to start the timer?” she ask, slipping from underneath his arm. “Let’s get clean first. Then if there’s time leftover…”

“I’m sure we’ll be able to think of some way to pass the time,” Reyes says, his voice full of promise. Ryder thinks of Lexi’s advice and wonders if having sex a couple of times would really impede her recovery all that much. Sex is supposed to be good for you, right? So really, she could say that she’s helping, not hurting herself.

Ryder turns to the shower console and start it up. No water will appear until it’s at the right temperature. When she looks back at Reyes, he’s naked as well. Supplies are already waiting in the shower cubicle, cleaning gel and hair wash. Exactly what they need to get the dirt and grime from today’s fight off of their bodies.

The water starts and they both practically jump into the cubicle. “Dear god, this feels good,” Reyes says, tipping his head forward as the water sprays his hair. “You may never get me to leave your ship.”

Ryder bites back the words that immediately come to mind, that she’d be okay with that. She’s already exposed enough of herself to him today. Any more and it will be a raw nerve, one he can easily exploit for his own gain down the road. She can’t have that. She _can’t._

So instead she picks up a washcloth and pours out liberal amount of gel. A silence settles over them as they wash each other, the only sound the gentle fall of the warm water. The water feels so _fucking_ good, almost as good as Reyes hands on her body as he washes her.

She’s careful not to press too hard against the bruise on his thigh. When she washes his cock, Ryder must admit she’s a bit surprised there’s no hardness there, not even when she holds it in her hand.

“I’m more tired than I thought,” he says, sounding almost apologetic. “I’m in a hot shower with a beautiful woman. I should be hard as a fucking rock right now.”

Ryder leans forward and kisses him, taking her hand off his cock. “We should sleep after this anyway,” she says. And it’s the truth. She’s too tired for sex right now, too. The fact that he is as well makes things all that much easier.

A dinger goes off on the console. “That’s the two minute warning,” she says. “We better hurry.”

“Let’s wash our own hair. It’ll be faster,” Reyes says, picking up a bottle of hair wash. After squeezing a small amount into his hand, he hands the bottle to Ryder. She follows suit.

This feels so _domestic._ She can’t even begin to describe how strange it is to be taking a shower with Reyes, like it’s something they do every day. But it also feels good, like something a normal couple does, even when they’re anything but.

Ryder leans forward to wash the soap out of her hair. Another dinger. “Thirty seconds.”

“Your ship really doesn’t mess around with hot water, does it?” Reyes says with a laugh. “We should have just enough time.”

With about ten seconds to go, they’re both done, so Ryder wraps her arms around Reyes’ waist, enjoying the simple sensation of his body against hers, with water gently pouring down on them.

Then the water stops.

“Damn,” Reyes says. “I sort of hoped the ship would know what an amazing thing you did today. Maybe let you have some extra water.” He runs a hand up and down his arm. “Towels?”

Without the hot water, she starts to shiver. Luckily, the towels are within easy reach. She throws one at Reyes and immediately starts to dry herself off. There’s nothing like a hot shower. She almost feels relaxed. Hopefully she can stay that way for a little bit.

She yawns, not even bothering to cover her mouth, as she towels her hair. Short as it is, it will dry quick. The shower did the trick. Thank to that, and the fact that she can simply reach out and touch Reyes, she’s more relaxed than she remembers being in a long, long time. Her mind is almost quiet, and that’s something that rarely happens.

Once she’s dry, Ryder throws on her sleep shorts and t-shirt. Then she picks up her bra and both pairs of their underwear. It’s an unspoken rule among the crew that the communal bathroom stays clean. With twelve people sharing this space, they don’t have any choice.

Reyes takes her free hand and brings it up to his lips. He’s changed into Gil’s clothes - she really will owe him a big favor - and without the armor, he looks younger, almost. Not nearly as guarded. Almost… open. But that must be a trick of the light. People like Reyes are never open.

Ryder suddenly thinks of her father, how he had a singular goal at the cost of everything else in his life. She wonders if being with Reyes will be like that, knowing that there will be always something more important in his life, no matter how important she becomes to him.

But then she pushes those thoughts away. This is not the time to think about her father. Not in the slightest.

Hand in hand, they leave the bathroom, making the quick walk back into her room. The doors open and Ryder wants to cry out in relief at the sight of her bed. Her beautiful, comfortable bed. Where she might sleep for the next one hundred years.

“Do you have a favorite side?” Reyes asks.

The question is actually quite thoughtful. Usually, Ryder likes to sprawl out in the middle of the bed, taking up almost the whole thing. She won’t today, though. “I don’t. You?” she asks.

“Whatever side isn’t against a wall,” he says. “Looks like we don’t have to worry about that here. This really is a ridiculous room.”

“I know,” she says. They’re talking about partitioning it off, maybe expanding the bathroom so they have more space. But right now there’s no resources for the project, so she gets this embarrassingly large room all to herself.

Reyes gets into bed first, choosing the left side, and she has to smile on the look of pure bliss on his face. “I haven’t slept on a real mattress like this since I left the Nexus,” he says, practically groaning. “There’s only these awful air mattresses on Kadara. This is absolute heaven.”

She slips into bed next to him, laying on her side. They’re close, but not quite touching, definitely not close enough. Scooting forward, Ryder’s flush against him now, and in the very next moment, they’re kissing. Slow, lazy kisses for people with all the time in the galaxy. They don’t have that, of course, but right now? She’s content to pretend they do.

His hand slides around her hip, cupping her ass, pulling her up against him. Usually this is when she’d feel some life in his cock, but there’s nothing.

Finally, he breaks away. “It’s like my dick’s decided to take a vacation,” Reyes says. Ryder says nothing at the hint of frustration in his voice. He pulls up the covers and looks down. “I hope you’re enjoying the sights, old friend.”

She does laugh at that. How can she not? “Wouldn’t mind a postcard,” she says, putting a hand on his cheek.

“I can picture it now. Live from Meridian, wish you were here,” he says as he puts a hand on her hip.

His eyes seem to soften when he looks at her. They’ve fucked three times since they’ve met, yet right now, simply lying in bed with their arms and legs entwined, is the most intimate moment they’ve shared.

Her heart wants to beat out of her chest. She’s not used to intimate. Hell, she’s not built for intimate. Ryder’s the type to run away when things get serious. She’s made for good times and quick fucks, but sometimes, when Reyes is looking at her like _that_ , she can almost believe she’s meant for something more.

Without another word, she turns around and pushes back against him, so that her back is flush with his chest. At once, Reyes puts an arm around her waist. “We better get some sleep,” she says, wondering how it’s possible that she’s in the arms of a smuggler, a self-proclaimed thief and murderer, and feels almost safe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> next chapter... smut!


	2. Chapter Two

She wakes up and finds herself a bit disoriented. With the window’s tinted, she has no idea if it’s night or day. Then again, if they’re in a domed world, who’s to say that the place even has a day/night cycle.

But Reyes’ arm is still firmly around her and she smiles, hearing his soft snores. And then she shifts her weight, and feels his cock, hard and ready, nestled in-between her ass cheeks.

“Good morning to me,” she says softly.

_SAM_ , she thinks, _how long have we been asleep?_

Using their private channel, SAM answers, _For nine hours, Pathfinder. The entire crew is back on board, with the exception of Doctor T’Perro._

Nine hours? No wonder she actually feels rested. She can’t even remember the last time she slept for that long at one time.

The question now is does she let Reyes sleep? Or does she wake him up? Her first thought is to wake him up. But at the same time, he probably can use the sleep. Maybe she can use some more, too.

Just as she’s about to close her eyes again, she feels the palm of his hand sliding down her stomach into her pajama pants. “Hey there,” she says, barely above a whisper, not wanting to ruin the quiet of the room.

“Hello to you, too,” Reyes says, his voice full of mischief. He lightly grinds his cock against her ass and she presses back, reveling in the sensation.

Not willing to wait any longer, Ryder turns around, onto her side, kissing Reyes softly. He kisses her back, hand on her ass, cock nestled between her legs, leaving her with no doubt of what’s next.

“You’ll have to be on top,” she says softly. “Doctor’s orders.”

“Good thing I like to lead,” he says, a smirk dancing on his lips. Ryder know that smirk. She _loves_ that smirk and the promise it makes. It promises pleasure and possibilities. Two things she can desperately use right now.

He sits up, throwing Gil’s shirt to the floor. Deciding not to waste any time, Ryder takes off her own shirt, then shimmies out of her sleep shorts. The cotton sheets are cool against her skin and her eyes close as she reaches for Reyes.

His mouth is on hers in an instant and they kiss, even as he lays next to her, propped up by an elbow. Ryder runs a hand through his hair. Already this feels different, knowing they have all the time in the galaxy. There’s no one waiting for them, like their first fuck in the cave. There’s no chance a waitress or server will interrupt, like the time after they slow danced in Tartarus. SAM will keep anyone away, and with that, any worries disappear.

Ryder moans into her mouth as his fingers squeeze her nipple. “Like that, do you?” he mutters before taking her nipple into his mouth.

“Fuck, yes,” she whispers, putting a little pressure on the back of his neck. He sucks gently, swirling his tongue around her nipple.

She reaches down, letting the tips of her fingers brush the length of his cock. Reyes shudders, visibly shudders at her touch. “Let’s not go two months between visits again,” he says, his eyes closing as she starts to stroke gently. “You are so much better than my hand.”

Neither one of them can make that promise, they both know that. Even so, Ryder says, “Works for me.”

“You, ah,” Reyes’ eyes shut tight, “better stop that. Pretty sure I only have enough for one round and I don’t want it to be in your hand.”

Ryder moves her hand from his cock to his waist, as they start to kiss again. While the kisses might be lazy, there’s a growing pressure between her legs. And when Reyes’ fingers start to spread her apart, she finds her patience disappearing.

“Lube’s in the top drawer, right by the side,” she says, kissing his neck with just a hint of her teeth.

“I love it when people are prepared,” he says as he reaches over to the nightstand. “We still don’t need condoms, do we?”

“I’m clean and still on blockers,” she tells him. She’s gotten tested after each time they’ve had sex and nothing’s come up. And considering she’s still on the fertility blockers - she _loves_ them - she’s comfortable not using protection.

“Same,” he says, pulling out the lube. He pours a small amount in his hand; as wet as she is, they won’t need much for comfort.

Having been almost fully clothed when they’ve fucked before, Ryder’s not had a chance to really look at his cock when it’s hard. Granted, he’s sent her plenty of pics - it seems to be one of his favorite things to do - but seeing it in person is different.

She can admit, it’s a good-looking cock.

Ryder turns so she’s lying on her back, not even trying to keep her breathing even. Her breaths are slightly shallow and she doesn’t care. She wants Reyes inside her so desperately it almost _hurts._

And now he seems to be taking his damn time.

Once he’s done with the lube, she pulls him on top of her. He kisses her, his tongue sliding against hers. His weight on top of her feels _good_ , almost steady, and she spreads her legs so he can get himself settled.

“So impatient, Ryder,” he says and to her delight, he sounds a bit impatient himself.

“Been two months, Reyes,” she says, running her hands down his back, over the smooth muscles. She’s already picturing it from the shower. It’s an absolutely beautiful back, one of her weaknesses.

But all thought of his back disappears as his cock slides into her.

His moan is louder than hers as they start. Each time together before they needed to be quiet, in case someone might overhear. But now? Her room is fairly soundproof, something Ryder tested before their first vid call. So she can be as loud she wants.

Though as Reyes starts to thrust, she doesn’t feel the need to be loud. Instead, Ryder just wants to let herself enjoy the feeling of being with him.

And she does. Her hips try to keep in time with his, letting him go as deep as possible. The fullness of his cock just feels _right_ , and she lifts her knees and braces them on either side of his waist.

His rhythm is slower than she expects, not nearly the frantic pace of their first fucks. This is almost lazy, though her cunt feels just as good. Her eyes stay closed as he takes one of her hands, pushing it against the mattress, entwining their fingers.

Ryder tries to ignore the sense of overwhelmingness that threatens. The day is still tumbling around her, her worries, her fears. But most of all, there’s a sense that she’s cared for, utterly and completely.

Reyes grabs her other hand, so she’s pinned down slightly on the bed. But she’s not trapped at all. She’s surrounded, by _him_ , and she doesn’t want the feeling to go away.

His thrusts are getting harder and with one particularly enthusiastic one, Ryder opens her eyes.

He’s staring right down at her with an expression she can’t read. Their eyes meet and Ryder can’t look away. She wants to, she desperately wants to - there’s just too many _feelings_ written all over his face - but she doesn’t. She doesn’t, and each second their eyes linger on each other, she’s exposing herself to him, even more than she had before. And she might never be able to cover herself completely with him again.

A moment passes before she realizes that Reyes has stopped moving. He’s buried deep inside her and all they’re doing is staring at each other and holding hands.

“Lettie,” he says, his voice no more than a whisper.

It’s hearing her name, her actual name from his lips, that breaks the spell. Ryder slides her hands around Reyes’ neck and brings him down for a kiss, one that might set her on fire and turn her into ash.

The kiss spurs him on as well, and only a moment later, he’s pushing his hips into hers again, with one hand between her legs. He finds her clit easily - bastard is far too good with his hands - and rubs in time with his thrusts.

It doesn’t take long before Ryder throws back her head, breathing hard. She’s close, she’s so fucking close. The pressure is building in her core and Ryder just wants to cut everything loose and let herself be boneless.

Reyes presses down a bit hard with his fingers, and Ryder’s gone. Her orgasm surges through her, not the most intense one she’s ever had, but enough that she arches her back trying to will it through her entire body. It doesn’t quite work the way she wants, but it’s enough. More than enough.

Sated, Ryder start to breath again and makes the mistake of opening her eyes. Reyes is looking down at her again, the slightest smile on his face. It’s almost too much, so to break the tension, she digs the heel of her foot into his ass. “Your turn,” she says and there is laughter in her voice.

The smile turns into a grin as he presses his brow against hers, close enough she can see the few freckles on his nose. She keeps her legs tight around him as he continues to thrust. “Fuck, Ryder,” he says before kissing her hard. His hips start to jerk unevenly, so she clenches around him, wanting to help as much as she can.

He groans into the crook of her neck as he grinds into her. A moment later, Reyes lets out a gasp before he stills. He makes no move to get off her, only to slide his arms under her back so that he’s holding her. Heart beating faster than it should, Ryder looks up at the ceiling.

This wasn’t a quick fuck. Damnit, this wasn’t even sex. This was… Ryder doesn’t even want to think the words because the prospect is terrifying. She likes him, of course she likes him - she wouldn’t fuck him otherwise - but this? Falling for a man who’s a self-admitted thief and murderer?

She should be better than this.

What she should do is easy. Ask him to leave and decline his messages from here on out,  only communicating for business. But the thought of actually doing that? It won’t happen. She’s tangled in his web and the longer she stays with him, the more responsible she’ll be for whatever happens in Kadara Port. Can she live with that?

It terrifies her how quickly she decides that she can.

Slowly, as to not disturb the peace built up between them, Ryder unwraps her legs around Reyes’ waist. She’s exhausted again - sex isn’t normally so draining, but sex usually doesn’t involve fucking feelings - but she doesn’t think she can go to sleep. Not yet.

“It’s been two months,” she says softly, gently pushing him off of her. Reyes still reaches out, a hand on her hip, like he’s not ready to let her go. “I better go to the bathroom.”

He nods and she can’t quite understand the look on his face. Relief? Confusion? She doesn’t know and right now, she doesn’t want to know. She doesn’t want to do anything except not think about how that wasn’t like any other sexual encounter she’s ever had in her life.

It doesn’t take long before she’s back in her sleep shorts and t-shirt, hoping that no one is in the hallway, so that no one sees Reyes in her bed. No one is and Ryder hopes beyond hopes that her luck extends to an empty bathroom.

It doesn’t.

The bathroom door opens and Drack is standing at the mirror.

“You smell like Kadara and sex, kid,” he says with a chuckle. “Thought you were supposed to rest.”

Ryder goes into the bathroom stall and pulls down her sleep shorts. “Mind your own business, old man.”

She does her business quickly, cleaning up as best she can, grateful when she hears Drack leave the bathroom without saying anything else. As much as she loves Drack, he’s a gossip. The entire ship will know Reyes is here within a couple of minutes.

Reyes is lying on his side when she gets back. Instead of going to the bed, Ryder heads to the small refrigerator under her desk, grabbing two bottles of water. They can probably both use the pick me up.

As she puts a knee on the bed, he says, “You don’t really need to wear those pesky night clothes, do you?”

Tossing him a water bottle, Ryder says, “I suppose not. What’s the point of having my own room if I can’t walk around it naked?”

“Exactly,” Reyes says. He takes a long sip of water, before holding it up in a toast. “Thank you for this.”

She nods as she takes off her t-shirt and slides her shorts off onto the floor. His eyes roam up and down her body. That’s made her a bit uncomfortable in the past, with other lovers. But with Reyes? She finds she doesn’t mind at all.

“You’re staring,” Ryder says, teasing.

“You’re worth staring at.” His answer is so matter-of-fact that she needs to look away. She picks up her water bottle and slides under the covers. After she drinks about half the bottle, Ryder puts it on the nightstand.

Reyes is leaning back on the pillows, looking the absolute picture of ease. His hair is falling into his face a bit and Ryder needs to keep herself from reaching out and putting it back into place.

“I’m about to say some scary words, Ryder. I want you to prepare yourself,” he says. She hears a bit of uncertainty in his voice, which surprises her. A lot. “Can we talk?”

Ryder raises her eyebrows. Normally those words terrify her, but she takes a breath, and decides she won’t mind hearing what Reyes has to say. “I’m confined here for another fourteen hours,” she says, trying to keep her voice light. She leans forward and kisses him quick on the lips. “If you want to talk, I don’t really have a choice but to listen.”

“Ah, but you have a krogan who doesn’t really like me, from what I can tell,” Reyes says. The tightness in Ryder’s chest eases up. If Reyes is making jokes, things can’t be too bad. “I’m sure he’s just looking for an excuse to throw me off the ship.”

“I’ll ask him nicely not to,” she says, scooting a little closer to him.

His hand finds her hip and she lets him pull her even closer to him. _Fuck_ , it’s so nice to be this close, to have her breasts up against his chest, to have one of his legs between hers. How will they go back to quick fucks and vid calls after this?

“I was hoping we could actually figure out what,” Reyes waves his hand between the two of them, “this is. Basically, what are we? That is, is you want to.”

She swallows and tries not to make much of a reaction. She does want to, very much indeed. “I wouldn’t think a smuggler would be so interested in labels,” she says, adjusting the pillow under her head.

Possibly she imagines it, but she thinks a look of hurt flashes on his face. “You’d be surprised, Ryder. Timing and precision are everything in my kind of work.”

That does make sense, but the issue is she doesn’t have any idea what he wants. Is this causal? She doesn’t think so, not after the sex they just had. But is it serious? What sort of future is there with the Charlatan? Does she really want to find out? There’s no settling down at an outpost and having two point five children, that’s for sure. That’s the future she expected some day back when this all began. Is that future worth giving Reyes up? She doesn’t think that future is.

“I’ve told you before, Ryder, I’m a greedy man,” Reyes says, sliding his hand from her hip to her ass. “The fact of the matter is, I want you all to myself.”

“Exclusive?” she asks, not even able trying to keep the surprise out of her voice. He nods once, his eyes searching her face, clearly trying to find some sort of answer there. Exclusive. Ryder likes the sound of that. “I can work with that.”

He kisses her then, so hard their teeth bump together, but she doesn’t care. Concepts she’s not quite willing to put into words cross her mind as they kiss. Concepts she’ll definitely need to explore though. Concepts that aren’t nearly as scary as she thought they would be.

“Good,” Reyes says when they break apart. He’s nuzzling her neck and Ryder doesn’t want to move. Ever. “I wasn’t sure what you’d say. Thought maybe you’d want to keep things casual.”

She entwines her fingers with his. “I don’t think I know how to be casual when it comes to you,” she admits. It’s yet even more power she’s giving him, but maybe, just maybe, she’s being given just as much power in return.

They both hold the power to ruin the other if they want. Not quite the healthy relationship her mother would have wanted for her when she whispered _fall in love, at least once._ But they’re both here, choosing the other when it counts. And maybe that’s all that matters, that they continue to choose each other.

“You’re certainly not a casual kind of girl, Ryder,” he says. He props himself up again and there’s a serious look on his face. “Now, I’m not promising a white wedding or anything down the road…”

She lets out a bark of a laugh and he grins. “I’m pretty sure our happy ending doesn’t come close to that.”

“Wouldn’t mind a chance of a happy ending,” he says, sounding almost wistful. “We’ll have to figure out exactly what that means for us.”

“We will,” Ryder says. She yawns, not able to help herself. The sex high is long gone and her brain still hurts a bit. More rest is probably what she needs right now. “We’ll figure it out.”

“I do like a puzzle,” Reyes says.

A comfortable silence settles over them as he rubs the palm of her hand with his thumb. Maybe it’s her turn to ask a scary question. There’s one that’s been on her mind since the cave, one she does want answered. “So can I ask you a question, too?”

His eyes open slightly wider, not by much, but enough that Gil would consider it a poker tell. She can already feel Reyes being slightly on edge. “Of course,” he says, and sounds so comfortable with the idea that Ryder wonders if she imagined the tell.

Ryder takes a breath. Now or never and this question’s been preying on her mind for far too long. “If Sloane hadn’t brought me to the cave that day, would you have ever told me that you’re the Charlatan?”

Reyes flops onto his back, letting out a low whistle. “Not one for asking the easy questions, are you, Ryder?” he asks.

“Sorry,” Ryder says, even though she’s really not. With this sort of reaction, she wants to know the answer, more than anything.

He waves his hand. “Don’t be sorry,” he says. “I knew you’d ask at one point.” Reyes turns to his side, putting an arm under his pillow. “The truth is… I had a plan.”

“A plan?”

“I was going to tell you I decided to join the Collective,” he says quietly. “See your reaction. If you didn’t mind, then down the road, tell you I’d become part of the leadership. Then later, at an unspecified time, tell you that I’d been named the Charlatan.”

Ryder thinks about what he says as she runs her fingers through his chest hair. So essentially he didn’t have any plans to tell her. She’s not sure what to think about that, but then there’s a reason why you shouldn’t ask questions you don’t want the answer to. “That was your plan?”

“I never said it was a good plan,” Reyes says with a hint of a laugh. But then his face turns serious. “I was living in a fantasy land, Ryder. I kept telling myself that it was for your own good, which is utter bull shit, of course.”

She nods, absolutely agreeing with him. That is a bull shit excuse. At least he recognizes it.

“Then it’s like I told you in the cave,” Reyes says. “I didn’t want things to change between us.” His lips are against hers, and Ryder raises her brow, even as she closes her eyes, kissing him back. The kiss ends, and he rests his head against her forehead. “But I’m glad it did.”

“So am I,” Ryder says. She’s not sure if a relationship with Reyes Vidal, smuggler, would have lasted all that long. A few laughs, maybe a few nights together, but then she might have moved on to something more accessible.

But a relationship with Reyes Vidal, the Charlatan of the Collective? That’s a whole different story. This is a man who challenges her, who makes her take every preconceived notion of herself and turns them upside down. It’s thrilling, in a way, to know they both have power over the other, yet she doesn’t even consider using that power. And this is just a guess, but she assumes that he’s just the same.

She sees Reyes take a quick glance at the door. Now that he’s rested, no doubt he’s itching to get back to Kadara. It will be the closest port to Meridian and if he plays his cards right, he can get credits flowing easily.

She doesn’t want him to go, yet she can’t find it in her to ask him to stay.

“I need to get some more sleep,” she says finally, breaking the spell cast over the room. “You’re welcome to stay, if you want.”

Reyes shakes his head, just like she figured he would. “I better head out. If anyone’s watching the ship, they’ll probably be asking questions if I stay much longer,” he says, tracing the outline of her jaw with his finger. “I do prefer a bit of discretion, if that’s alright.”

“Best for both of us,” Ryder says at once. It’s true. She wonders what will happen if word gets out that she’s with him. But that’s a thought for another day, not right now.

He stands up, and she bites her lower lip, taking in the sight of his naked body. “I think I almost feel rested after that nap,” he says as he walks over to his armor.

“Yeah?” Ryder asks, sitting up in bed, not bothering to cover herself with the sheet. But then it dawns on her that she should probably walk him out, make sure he gets out of the ship okay. And that no one on her crew bothers him at all. She doesn’t think they will, but best not to take chances.

Her sleep clothes are close by on the floor, so she snatches them up and puts them on quickly. She’s not going to bother with a bra or underwear, not when she’s just going to the cargo hold.

As Reyes puts on his armor, Ryder grabs a protein bar from her desk. Her stomach is starting to grumble a bit. After he leaves, it might be time to find a proper meal.

Once dressed, he holds out his arms. “Well, I suppose this is it for now. We’ll have to time out our trips. No point in coming to Meridian if you’re not there.”

“And I’ll let you know when I’m on the way to Kadara,” she says, walking over to him. She wraps her arms around his waist. “I’ll miss you.”

Reyes doesn’t answer and instead kisses her. It’s a soft kiss, a kiss to remember him by. “You’ll always be in my thoughts,” he says, taking her hands. He brings them up of his lips. “Just stay safe out there, okay?”

“You, too,” Ryder says, knowing neither one of them can actually keep that sort of promise. The type of lives they lead? They’ll never be safe. It’s a fantasy they tell themselves to make the other feel better.

Their hands linger together as they walk to the door of her quarters. When it opens, they both drop their hands in an unspoken agreement. Already she’s missing his touch.

Kallo is down at the end of the hall, speaking to Vetra. Ryder starts walking and Reyes is right there beside her. She’s wondering if she should say anything besides a quick hello when she sees a flash of anger on Kallo’s face.

Ryder bites the inside of her cheek, not sure what the next step is, when Reyes says, “Kallo.”

“Vidal,” Kallo says, turning away and pointedly not looking at Reyes.

There’s a story there, and Ryder desperately wants to hear it. But this clearly is neither the time nor place for such a tale. So she keeps walking.

Once they get into the blissfully crew-free cargo hold, she asks, “Do I even want to know?”

Reyes grins. “You’ve got a good pilot there, Ryder,” he says. “Even better than me, if I’m feeling generous.”

She’s so tempted to press for information, to figure out exactly how the two of them know each other. But that’s not how things work between them. He’ll offer the details when he’s ready.

Apparently it’s sooner than she thinks. “I actually trained under Kallo once they woke me up on the Nexus,” he says, keeping his voice soft. “One of the reasons I’m such a good smuggler is because I know how to handle the Scourge. Not everyone can.”

“He mad because you left after the Uprising?” she asks. That doesn’t seem like Kallo. He’s never really expressed any anger over the Uprising, only a bit of regret.

“Ah, no,” Reyes says, sounding like someone who’s hand is stuck in the cookie jar. “He’s mad because I stole one of the best shuttles on the Nexus when I did decide to leave. Understandable, really.”

“Of course you did,” Ryder says with a laugh.

He puts his arms around her and Ryder rests her chin on his shoulder, just enjoying the feeling of his body against hers. She doesn’t feel like she needs to say anything; they’ve already said their farewells.

Finally, Ryder says, “SAM, open the cargo ramp, please.”

Once the words are out in the open, they break apart. This is the way things are for them, she knows that. They’ll get little pockets of happiness before parting ways again. What other choice do they have? She’ll never live on Kadara full-time and he’ll never rejoin the Initiative. Best to make do with what they’ve got.

 “Until next time,” Reyes says, his voice soft. “Looking forward to the messages.”

“Same,” Ryder says.

Reyes takes a breath, then starts to walk down the ramp. Ryder crosses her arms over her chest, waiting for the inevitable. Once he makes it to the bottom, he turns back towards her and winks. All she can do is shake her head and laugh, which earns her a smile from him before he disappears out of sight.

“Close the cargo ramp, please, SAM,” Ryder says, already missing Reyes standing next to her. “Any update on Scott?”

_He is resting. There is talk of putting him in a medical coma so his mind can heal._

“Wouldn’t mind that myself,” Ryder mutters as she heads towards the kitchen. Time for a proper meal.

_Based on my diagnostics, you have no need for such an extensive procedure._

“Just talking to myself, SAM,” Ryder says. Vetra and Kallo are nowhere to be seen once she enters the hallway. Probably for the best. She knows most of the crew doesn’t like her relationship with Reyes, but she’s not going to let that influence her. But stealing a shuttle from the Nexus? It’s so perfectly Reyes she wants to laugh.

_Ryder, Mister Vidal has sent you a message._

Heat rises to her cheeks. She doesn’t expect a message this soon and before she can concoct a million and one scenarios of what it might say, she opens her omni-tool.

_I left you a present under your pillow._

There goes any thought of a meal. She practically sprints the length of the hallway, knowing Lexi would definitely consider this strenuous activity. But right now? Ryder doesn’t care.

Her bed is still messy - she’ll have to change the sheets - and she picks up the pillow and tosses it to the ground.

There, lying on the mattress, are a set of dog tags. Alliance based, just like the ones she used to wear, the ones in a drawer in her desk, one of the only things she brought from the Milky Way. Her fingers brush over the raised letters and she reads the words out loud.

“Reyes Vidal. ID 637F-7967-08. Type O-. C.”

Ryder raises her brow at the letter C. _Catholic?_ That’s something she did not expect. At all.

The dog tags are only ceremonial, of course, handed out because of tradition. If he was truly Alliance, he’ll have a microchip under his skin, just like she does. But the physical dog tags are just as important to soldiers, maybe even more so than the digital ones.

It’s not like she can really do anything with the knowledge. The Initiative purposely didn’t bring any Alliance records with them to Andromeda, so she can’t look up his file. And the Nexus files were corrupted enough that she could hardly find anything on Reyes at all when she checked.

She tries to picture him in a service uniform, maybe being a pilot of a shuttle or a fighter jet. The rules and regulations of the Alliance would have stifled him, she thinks. She just can’t imagine him putting up with them for long.

The significance of the dog tags almost weigh her down. Just knowing he was in the Alliance, maybe even at the same time as her, feels like she’s uncovered a huge secret. But it’s not a secret, not if he willingly gave her the key.

It’s also a sign, that if she can just be patient, maybe he’ll reveal everything to her some day. For now, she’ll take what she can get, take every nugget he hands her, and pull them close. Someday then, she’ll unlock the mystery that is Reyes Vidal.

With a smile, Ryder puts the dog tags on, the metal cooling the skin between her breasts. A little piece of him always with her. She likes that.

Ryder brings up the message app on her omni-tool. _Thank you for the present,_ she types. Thank you doesn’t even begin to cover her feelings at his gift. But it will have to do. There are a million questions she wants to ask, but somehow she manages to stick with one that’s not too invasive. _You’re Catholic?_

His response is almost immediate. _Call it misspent youth._

Ryder laughs and wonders how to respond when there’s another ping. _Feel free to send me a pic of you wearing them. And only them._

Smug bastard. But maybe after her nap she can take a pic or two. _I might be able to find the time,_ she types.

Maybe she’ll give him her dog tags to complete the exchange. Their own way of showing their commitment to each other.

_Looking forward to it if you do. About to start the pre-flight check, so I won’t be able to chat. I’ll let you know when I’m back on Kadara. Stay safe, Lettie._

Her first name again. She feels like a flower finally blossoming as she rereads the sentence. Hardly anyone actually calls her by her first name, but Ryder decides she won’t mind if he does.

_Stay safe, Reyes._

Ryder flops back on the mattress, knowing she won’t hear from him again for a while, which will give her a good chance to get some more sleep.

Her eyes close, but her mind wanders, thinking about the last twenty-four hours and all the changes it’s brought.

“SAM, untint the windows, please,” she says, getting out of bed. Dusk has fallen out onto Meridian. Her eyes want to take in every detail at once, but she tries to contain herself until she’s settled onto the couch.

She sees a pond, trees, everything humanity could possibly need to start a true home. After all this work, Ryder would have thought she’d feel a sense of homecoming here on Meridian. After all, it’s everything they’ve worked for, right?

But she fingers the dog tags around her neck and a truth unfurls. This might be where she starts to live, but it won’t be _home._ Home is with a shady bastard who fronts as a smuggler, who used to be a member of the Alliance, who slow dances like he’s taken lessons, and runs a criminal organization that she can’t think about too much for reasons.

Home is _Reyes._

“Wish you were here,” she whispers as she tries to figure out just exactly how a sunset works on Meridian. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! I'd love to know what you think!


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